Thought I would post some pics of my new 73 runabout. Found it here in Minnesota but on the other side of the state... what a drive.
It's been sitting for awhile and needs tuneup stuff but the new plugs, cap, rotor, fuel filter and fresh gas have helped quite a bit.
I have the plug wires, valve cover gasket, thermostadt and air cleaner on order...
still needs to have the carb worked over... appointment made.
Also plan on full fluids change (oil and radiator), looks like a new timing belt is in order and I'm considering a new radiator...
brakes and suspension seems real tight... body has a bit of rust but the main parts seem to be solid.
Interior needs some work... front seats could use recover, rear seat has been done and have extra material to match the rear. A new headliner has been made for the car and needs to be installed. Has a decent stereo and already put some 6x9's in the rear on the floor.
I like this little pinto... never had one this old before... fun to drive ;D
here's a few more pics for thoes who wanna see... and yep... 93,071 miles
looks nice congrats.
Thanks Phil, I've been driving it and fixing her up ;D
needs a little more tuning but she runs and I'm oh so happy ;D
Looks great! I would consider having the tranny flushed. Even on a manual transmission its good to have new fluid every so often. It'll shift smoother and also help keep your internals in good working order.
Hey Joecool, one of the things on my list is tranny service...
likes to grind going into reverse and after a little driving it shifts a little smoother but that could me getting used to the clutch on this car and it is running much better now ;D
Could be shifter bushings/linkage, and/or poor clutch adjustment.
going in at 5:30 tonight for the oil change and tranny flush at Valvoline...
I called to see if they had the filter first... gotta custom order about half the parts for this car and some I can't get >:(
needs the fluids changed and I hope that's it but if not I'll have it looked at to see what the problem is...
I'll pull out the manuals tonight to see what I might be able to do myself.
Well, you can do the oil change, clutch adjustment, check you bushings, and tranny flush yourself.
nope... valvoline for oil and tranny...
I think I should be able to adjust/check the tranny/bushings
ran out of parts to install so... time to make it Shiny!!!
rubbing compound, beffer, elbow grease and wax...
2 nights and a little work the next day and... SHINY!!!
What size tires/rims are you running? They look great!
New Firestone Firehawk P205/60R 14" on American Racing Wheels ;D
purchased in 2002... I have the receipt... tires still have the little knobbies... just like new...
The pinto was in storage after the tires were purchased and not really driven...
I also have the origional wheels and tires w/half tread + the bias ply spare.
all the tires and wheels came with the car
Wow, those aren't 15s huh? Like I said, looks great!
they are 14's and they sure do look good on the car... pics just don't do it justice.
the couple times I've had the car out it sure handles nice...
suspension feels real tight, shocks are good and thoes tires sure help
If you ever in the Mpls. area, stop by and we can admire each other's Pintos!! It's nice to meet other pinto drivers in state of ! And congratulations; she's a beauty!
I meant to say... meet other pinto owners in state of Minnesota!
Any chance we can have some more engine shots? I've been studying pinto motors and don't have one I can look at in person.
Caravan... I'll be in Rockford, MN the weekend of the 26th for a family reunion and again for labor day to go to the Renaissance.
Hope to drive the pinto but... never know... Haven't got it running good enough to consider taking it out of town yet :o)
but the Tuneup and Carb expert here in town has it w/instruction to do what necessary to make it purrrrrr.....
and... don't let the pics fool ya to much... has quite a bit-o-rust on the back quarters and I have the interior gutted
But the paint sure did get Shiny!!!
OK Joecool... pics of 2.0 liter engine coming right up
and a couple more for ya Joe...
valve cover gasket was leaking bad so have to replace... took some pics and painted a few things...
I'll post painted images later when I have it all done...
a work in progress....
take the 'decel' (deceleration valve) valve off at the intake manifold, tap the hole into the manifold to IIRC 3/8 pipe insert a plug lfush and reinstall the decel valve. eliminates a potential vacuum leak and helps the engine rpm settle back down to idle after acceleration and between shifts
SRT,
I passed that on to the "carb and tune up guy" and he said makes sense but he did check for leaks there and found none. He said that my points were almost closed and carb needs serious attention.... needs a rebuild and some bushings are bad. The pinto did sit unused for a few years. He has the carb apart now and thinks once he is done the little pinto will run real nice... I trust this guy as he IS!!! the expert everyone turns to... even the racers in the area. I've had him do this to 2 of my cars and have been extreamly happy with the results... I hope to get the car back Friday or Saturday but told him time isn't the issue for me... running good is and he keeps as long as he wants.
caravan here: yeah, perhaps Labor Day we could meet up and share Pintos. I will e-mail you and give you cell phone number. Our pinto needs some carb work as well. Hopefully, we can get her in the shop sometime in August. She sometimes starts real hard, but other than that, she is solid as can be. We purchased it a year ago on ebay and had it shipped to Mpls. Sandy and John
oops, this got posted on the wrong thread. sorry!
caravan here: yeah, perhaps Labor Day we could meet up and share Pintos. I will e-mail you and give you cell phone number. Our pinto needs some carb work as well. Hopefully, we can get her in the shop sometime in August. She sometimes starts real hard, but other than that, she is solid as can be. We purchased it a year ago on ebay and had it shipped to Mpls. Sandy and John
is this carb and tune up guy up in Hibbing, MN? We're looking for such a guy....
Sandy and John, He is one of a kind and yes here in Hibbing... been hard to get the pinto into him as I had to wait for a carb kit and his busy scheduale during the racing season. He's been working on mine inbetween the racers and I can't wait to see what he does to it.
Once I get it back I still have a bunch-o-work to do... I still have some under the hood stuff and parts to replace, not sure how dependable this pinto is yet, interior is all torn out and I have to take all the heater vents out (mice moved in last winter... and well the stench is horrible) and I'm not to sure I'll be taking it to the cities, as much as I would like to I have 2 other bodies to bring with me and they do love the comfort of my air conditioned van during this hot and humid season.
Even if I don't bring it down I wouldn't mind meeting a couple pinto people and wouldn't mind looking yours over...
My email is brian at cr-computers dot net and if you get me a phone # I'll be sure to make some time and perhaps we can get together and swap some stories
Brian
Oh man, I lust for your car. Do those tires rub at all in the front? Must be close from the looks of it.
Thanks Joe and no the tires don't rub and lots of clearance from what I see
Quote from: Cookieboy on August 06, 2006, 04:39:24 PM
Thanks Joe and no the tires don't rub and lots of clearance from what I see
Cool, good stuff to know.
Sounds good; We'll be in touch, Brian! Always good to talk pintos with other pinto drivers. We'll e-mail you and get you John's cell phone number.
Hey Joecool,
some updated pics of the 2.0 motor with some of the parts painted... Shiny!
finally got it back from the carb guy, he changed and set the points and rebuilt/adjusted carb.
runs much better but carb is still in rough shape... may have to get a new one but I still have a few tricks/tweeks left to try.
I did time it a little better thru trial, error and test drives and it helped too.
almost ready for prime time...
after a few more tricks/tweeks got it running much better ;D
still a little rough to start but a lot better... needs to be warmed up a bit.
once warmed up it runs really good and I feel a whole lot better about driving it.
if it wasn't raining so hard here I would still be driving around having fun/testing.
:( stupid rain.... and looks to be doing it all day long
Niiicceee. Too bad about the rust though. Also i cant help but wonder about the "special order" oil filter?? Its an off the shelf PH8A or equivalent Or what was it? Hell if it was the air filter K&N has one that fits the stock air cleaner housing.
As far as maintenance goes though id also check the engine mounts,as they love to come apart. And dont forget to check the u-joints and rear-end gear lube.
I have to say my original 2.0 ran for nearly 200,000 miles and would've kept going if the dam oil pump hadn't come apart and lost oil pressure.
Have fun!
Thanks 71hotrodpinto, It didn't require a special order oil filter... I just called to make sure they had in stock...
engine mounts do look weak and I have been wondering where I might get replacements.
rear gear lube is on the list of things to check... needed to get it running well enough to drive first ;D
I still have a bunch of work to do before the snow starts falling and it's coming along nicely.
Heres the engine mounts. Kragen or Parts America for dirt cheap. Probably not going to find the good ones anymore like from moog etc.
http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductList.aspx?parttype=27&ptset=A&searchfor=Mount%2c+Engine
Thanks ;D
the Anchor Mounts show a left and right part #'s
w/1 year limited warranty for $10.48 a set
the Pioneer Prods lists right and left in one Part #
w/Lifetime warranty for $8.59 and lists as "solid"
which is better ??? and why ???
OK.... now that I have it running good enough to drive.... Time to deal with the mouse smell.
Last night I removed the heating chamber from under the dash and with it came the heater core and blower motor...
Took that all apart and was packed with mouse bedding that smelled of turds and piss.... yuck!
washed it all out with brushes, comet and hot water and could still smell the mouse treasures...
so soaked the whole unit in lemon scented pine sol overnight and rinsed off this morning... mouse smell seems to be gone now.
I'll have to check again for mouse smell when I get home... if the pine sol didn't work then I'm considering painting the inside of the heat chamber.
I also had to as part of the removal drain the radiator coolant so might as well put in the new thermostat and radiator...
Also see a few more parts to paint and little more cleanup of the engine compartment is in order...
If all goes well I should have 3 nights (after work) into doing this and then I can start on the interior...
wish me luck....
my three nights are up and.... back on the road without mouse smell ;D
heat chamber removed and clean, new heater hoses installed, more parts cleaned and painted, new timing belt installed, and new radiator hoses.
I wanted to install the new radiator I have but there is a problem w/the drain and couldn't fix in time :(
after finding... the special ford tool... to loosen the belt tensioner all went well and just got back from a short drive ;D
interior is next 8)
well.... I said interior is next and while waiting for the distributor I got started on it.
Here is a before and after picture of the roof. Headliner had been pulled before I bought the car and I was getting tired of "stuff" dropping down on me from above. I sanded the insulation from the roof, primed it and the painted it with some of that textured spray paint. Figured since I have no plans of putting the headliner back in I figured the textured paint would cover up the rough spots and it does a nice job of it too. Looks better in person than it does in the picture, the flash on the camera really brings out the streaks from the paint and you can't see them with normal light.
I'll post some before and after pics of the doors when I get pictures of them now that they are done and back together.
Wow, coming right along huh? Good job.
I'm getting there Joe, still lots to do.
as promised... pictures of the doors. I painted them up the same time I did the roof.
more stuff done this weekend...
Drove out to break into my 76 mustang parts car that I lost the keys for. It's been appox 7 or 8 years since I've been inside that car, was surprised at what I saw. Everthing was dirty but no smell of mildew that I could tell. That surprised me as it's sitting way back in the woods, sunk to it's belly in a swampy area. Seats and such are still in good condition. I wanted to see if the seats would work in my 73 Pinto, I need new seats. I would have to figure out how to jack it up so I could "break" the bolts from under the car. I could use them but really do not want to break up the set.
While I was there I stole some parts... took the visors, deluxe dome light w/map light, hurst shifter knob and the center counsel between the seats.
Plan 2 for seats... a mechanic here in town has a 72 Pinto in his own personal junk yard. It's smashed up bad and one of the doors is off of it. Motor is about 20 paces away sinking into the cold hard ground. Seats in it were the high back buckets and I had seen that the covering's were bad but didn't know the foam was shot and they were "cut" from the car so no mounts left. Unfortunatly unuseable. But it has perfect visors and dome light as well as a set of rear springs in the back seat. Most if not all of the Chrome Ponys, Pinto, Runabout and FORD was still in good shape and I'll go back for that. I also want the visors and the rear springs I'll keep in the back of my mind if needed later.
Plan 3 for seats... I had "impulse" bought a set of racing style seats I had seen sitting on the side of the road cheap. Think I paid $50 or $80 for the set and they looked brand new. They are uncomfortable as "beep" and been looking for something to do with them ever since, was gonna put em' in the El Camino but it's gone now. So I pulled the drivers seat in the 73 to see if they would work... look at the first picture and you'll see I just set it in to check the fit, didn't look to bad so it was time to go for it.
A trip to the hardware store and several hours later... I got the center counsel cleaned up and in place and the drivers seat mounted. Had to remove the center tray and mounting bracket to fit the counsel in, not a perfect fit but close enough. Took me quite a while to fit the seat in, never done this before so tried to be careful. I spent most of my time trying to get the seat in the proper position front to back. I like to sit close to the steering anyway but wanted to be sure the seat would still slide back for someone with longer legs. I only got the drivers mounted today cause I took my time. I think I can get the other one mounted in less that 2 hours, expecting rain for the next couple days so we'll see when I'll have time to finish.
All-in-all I'm happy with the results but durn them seats are uncomfortable.
Gotta Find Me Some Origional Highback Pinto Buckets!!!
Well... been about 2 weeks since last update....
I still only have the 1 seat mounted... rain and cold weather kept me from putting in the other one. I decided it was time to put in the new Radiator I had as that could be done quick. Sure is looking good under the hood. Unfortunatly I found a surprise... leaking head gasket. Oil was running down the side of the motor. After a lot of questions and double checking... head gasket. No smoke out the tail pipe and from what I can tell no oil in the radiator so seems to be external leak for now but needs to be fixed.
Also... showed the Pinto to a local body guy and talked about restoring the body and paint. Put the Pinto up on the hoist and surprise... looks real good under there. We were all impressed. Then took a good look at the body panels and he told me I had to find a passenger quarter as it's to far gone. The rest he could fix but if I could find both quarters all the better. Cost for paint and body work is more than I really wanted to spend but we got to looking at some of the cars he had in the shop and the cost for thoes.... seems he is willing to do the body work and paint for the same as he is charging another customer to repaint their newer VW. The VW didn't need any body work just wanted to change the paint from yellow to green (I think). For some reason I'm getting a deal.... I think it's because of all the pinto stories from the 3 guys in the shop. The plan at this point it to locate a couple quarters and then the Pinto goes to the body guy at the end of October. First thing he will be doing is to pull the head off and find the source of the leak. I want to know why... warped, cracked or if the gasked just failed. While he has the motor torn down the engine compartment will get painted, new starter will be installed and head issues will be solved.
While it was up on the hoist we looked at the front end and it has issues with front suspension... tire slop. He thought replacing the bearings would do the trick. So parts were purchased and I thought I would do the bearings myself. After putting it up on stands and removing the tires I should also note that the rotor looks OK on the drivers side but passenger side looks bad. Pads look good both sides and I know it brakes OK but now know why it pulls a little to the passenger side when braking hard. Anyway, I pulled the old bearings out on the driver side and they looked good. Put the new ones in anyway, put the tire back on and... still a lot of movement. Bearings are not the problem, I should have looked myself when he had it on the hoist. Tie rod looks a little sloppy to me but I'm not sure and think I'll take it in to the local tire shop and have them take a look. They do most of the front end repairs around here and think it's time for an expert opinion.
I'm going to stop on the interior for now... I'm still thinking about the color that I want for the Pinto and may end up changing colors in the interior to match. If I stick with red as it is now the brown interior can stay. But... I really want to change to green with black trim for the exterior. Red would be easier and cheeper and if I go to green and black the interior will be changed adding more cost and time. still trying to decide.
I have a few weeks before it will go to the body guy and I need to get it back to the carb guy. Choke isn't working right and it's a little hard to start, once warmed up it runs great. We talked and he's just waiting for me to drop it off. Also gonna have the front end looked over to decide on what needs to be done there. I'm willing to do the mechanical work myself (front end) but I don't have a heated garage with the space required to do the work. Winters are just to cold up here to consider heating it. I will save money if I let the mechanics do the work vs. cost to heat.
I want to start working on the 77 Wagon next summer so getting this one road ready and painted will have to be done this winter.
Car is looking great. On the front wheel slop, you might want to check the ball joints also.
Hey awesome!!
BUT before you think about paint (IMO) you should attack the front suspention and brakes. That is if your trying to "save" money.
Id tear the whole suspension down. Replace all the bushings, Upper(4) lower(2) all the ball joints (4) the strut rod bushings, the rack, the tie rod ends,calipers,pads, brake lines,
Then take it down for an alignment.
Its not that hard to tear down Just loosen the castle nuts a few turns on the ball joints (car in the air) and give a few good raps with a small 2lbs sledge hammer on the side of the spindle where they mount to the joints.
, Take the control arms to a shop and the'll replace the bushings for you and well as far as the ball joints thats the only hard part. They rivets need to be drilled out and then cold chisled off. Then use grade 8 bolts and nuts to hold the new joints on.
Snug assemble all the nuts and bolts then lower the car on the ground. Then tighten.
If youve kept the upper control arms close to the original spot then just drive it to the alingment shop and now you have a safe well handling car. If you have any more questions let me know. Ive done this twice and need to do it again LOL (ive put a few miles on my car since '89)
Just my .35 cents
I have an appointment setup for Thursday morming to have the front end looked at. like you I'm thinking a rebuild is the smart thing to do but taking it to the professionals for their opinion.
one of the reasons for having the paint done first is that I have a head gasket leak and while the motor is torn down for that to be fixed he will be painting the engine compartment. might as well let him finish while he has it.
I need to find some used brake rotors from a 73 to have them resurfaced and the rest of the parts for the front end. I'll get it done before spring when I'll be able to drive the car again.
Hmm good plan about the paint. More power to yah!
About the rotors. They were thin new, good luck getting some good used ones but i hope you can. Last time i looked at some Raybestos rotors for the 71-73, they were over $120 a piece. :what: :wow:
I got lucky and scored ($20) 1 NOS rotor off of ebay a while back and havnet seen any before that or since.
At over 240 for 2 its almost time to do a wilwood setup , But they dont have 4lug hubs, so then you have to change wheels. :mad:
The 71-73 is the bastard child of the pinto line. Everything out there for the pinto suspension and brakes is geared for the 74-80. Check www.kragen.com and you should find some stuff there.
I too have found rotors for $120.00 + but if I could find some used ones all the better. I've been looking on Ebay but no luck there either. As far as the brakes goes the passenger rotor has nasty grooves but they work ok with only a little pull to the passenger side. I can live with this for now but at some point this needs to be addressed. As far as the front end goes it seems to handle ok and I only notice a slight vibration at 60+ mph so even that isn't a major concern but I want to have it looked at to see what's up.
I bought this one for a driver and I should just go back to the origional plan and do just what was necessary to get the Pinto road ready and not worry about body and paint. I have a 77 Crusing Wagon that I want to start the restore on next spring and if I do the 73 it has to be finished with major stuff by spring. If I don't save the body now on the 73.... it will be to far gone to consider repair later (+ I'm getting a great deal on body work and paint so now is the time.) However I still need! to find a rear passenger quarter to even consider the body at this point. If I can't find one... no body work or paint for the Pinto :(
So what is the actual difference between the 71-73 rotors? I kept the front brakes off my 73 parts car because everything looked new and I wanted spares. However, when my friend installed the 2.3L Turbo in my 73, he swapped out the rack to a 71-72 style which yielded more clearance for the oil pan than the 73 rack did. I am not sure how much more he swapped, I thought he said used the brakes off the 72 as well. Anyway, I am just curious to know why 71-72 rotors will not work on a 73 and vice versa?
BTW, would a 1/4 panel off a 79 hatchback work for you? I am buying a 79 Bobcat parts car tomorrow. I am pretty sure the 1/4's are rust free but I know there are some dents here and there as it was an older gentlemen that had this car. However, I don't remember how dented they are as it has been a while since I have seen the car. I compared my 80 parts car to my 73 and the 1/4 looks the same to me? I plan on cutting the bottom off the 80 and saving it for my 73 as it now has a nice dent from someone from work >:(
I'm not sure if they are the same... good question.
I was told they all were but without compairing/measuring I would have no idea.
Anyone out there know what quarter panels are useable on a 73??? Are they all the same as I was told???
Ford changed the design slightly for the 73 and the rotors on a 73 are different than 71 and 72 as well as 74 and up. 73 was the only year they used that particular rotor and only on the Pinto from what I have been told. Something to do with tie rod ends if I recall correctly. All other parts (pads and caliper) are the same 71 thru 73 just the rotors were different.
"If" your friend changed your front end over to a 72 then the rotors are of no use to you... may want to check w/your friend and see what he did. and if... he swapped front ends and the rotors have become useless to you... I know someone looking for a good used set ;D
Time for an update... been to long.
I did find a quarter panel, and some used/resurfaced rotors for the 73 (Thanks Earthquake!) and now the car is at the body shop and waiting to get started. I've been trying to think of things to do while I wait so I put a heater in the garage and did some cleanup and reorganized for the winter.
I've been considering what to do with the interior plastic panels as they are in rough shape. Paint is always an option but.... well it's paint. So I decided to see what would happen if I sanded the panels. Started with the smaller rear parts and a lot of work sanding and they are looking much better... see pics. I'm calling the right side done at this point and not a lot to do to finish the left side. As the pics show they are going to look much better sanded. This was a lot of work and very time consuming... I might be able to cut down on some of the time involved now that I have some experience doing this. I took it slow to make sure I didn't screw it up... I was just testing to see if it was possible. I still have to consider the side panels and they are much larger and a lot more work... Paint would be quicker and easier but... again it's paint.
Plans for my little 73 have changed and we're stepping it up a notch with body and paint. Originally I told the body guy... let's just make it look OK... Now I have him thinking... let's do it up a little better than just basics. After the head gasket leak was found (see this thread http://www.fordpinto.com/smf/index.php?topic=5752.0) it was decided that while in for paint... Head will be pulled and while the motor is torn down engine compartment will be painted. They do full restores at the body shop I have it at and they can do the motor work too.
That's all for now... thought a little update was in store and here it is... till next time...
looking good! I'm having my panels dyed.....hopefully they turn out good.
The panels look great.I took all the panels out of my Rallye and covered them with a good quality vinyl. More work involved but looks great.
How did you get the vinyl to stick... I remember seeing your post reguarding that. I might consider it, I think it would look good.
And believe me... what I'm doing is a lot of work, I sanded on the unfinished bigger piece for another 1.5 hours and still not finished. I think it will take another half hour of fine sanding to get it to match the finished piece. The hard part is getting the surface to not-look-sanded and have that shiny finished look. I don't think I really wanna tackle the side panels. With the amount of time required to sand the little panels I can only imagine how many more hours of sanding left to do the big ones.
A new 2.0 header on ebay. 9 days to go. Just in case your interested.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Pinto-2-0L-exhaust-header-1970-71-72-73-new_W0QQitemZ280049980142QQihZ018QQcategoryZ33631QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Good luck and keep posting progress!!
Thanks,
I saw it, on my way home from Pintony's as I post this.
(Tony, made it to Waterloo, Iowa before we stopped)
My hat goes into the bidding ring when I get home ;D
Hey Brian,
Happy to hear that you have made a safe trip.
I'll bet you and Kevin are pretty tired?
Was that Mustard Pinto at Country Classics?
Did you see anything good?
From Pintony
Hey Tony, I missed your post. Didn't see any Pinto's or Cortina's at the lot. Wow! they had a lot of cars there. Some cool one's too. You were right though... prices seemed way to high for most of it. My favorite had to be the little VW I saw there... can't help it, it was sooooo cute :cheesy_p:
I got back to Hibbing about 4 this afternoon and tired isn't the word for it. I brought my suitcase in but the rest is still in the van. a little over 1500 miles in 2 days but it was worth it. Got lots of good parts, good advice and it was a pleasure meeting you. I really enjoyed seeing your cars getting the chance to chat in person.
Now! it's time to get really serious about my little project, this is gonna be fun and can't wait to see how it turns out ;D
Hey Brian,
Post the photo of us in fron of the P.P when you get a chance.
I should have taken more photos of our outing...
From Pintony
Sure, I'll send one to your email too.
Hey Brian,
Was great getting to meet you and Kevin.
Glad it was a safe one...
Hope you enjoyed the "RIDE" in the Purple Pinto! ;D ;D
Thank you for posting the photo.
That is one for the wall of fame in my shop IF I ever get round to making it nice.
From Pintony
Re: Hope you enjoyed the "RIDE" in the Purple Pinto!
all I can say is Wheeeeeee!! that was fun ;D
That is one nice ride.
Just thought I should post this... I'm killing off this thread (I will not be posting in it anymore) and have moved into the "Your Project" area under the following topic and web url
Topic: 73 Pinto Runabout Project
http://www.fordpinto.com/smf/index.php/topic,6247.0.html